Directed by F. Gary Gray and screenplay by Jonathan Herman and Andrea Berloff and story by Berloff, S. Leigh Savidge, and Alan Wenkus, Straight Outta Compton is the story about the formation and rise of the legendary hardcore hip-hop group N.W.A. (Niggaz with Attitude) who created controversy through their music as it spoke about life in the ghettos of Compton near Los Angeles, California. The film is a dramatic take on the group’s story from their early years to the death of one of their founders in Eric “Eazy-E” Wright of AIDS in 1995. Starring O’Shea Jackson Jr., Corey Hawkins, Jason Mitchell, Aldis Hodge, Neil Brown Jr., and Paul Giamatti as Jerry Heller. Straight Outta Compton is a gritty yet intense film from F. Gary Gray.
In the late 1980s, N.W.A. emerged from the Los Angeles-based ghettos of Compton where they released their breakthrough album Straight Outta Compton that featured no-holds-barred lyrics on life in the ghetto, violence, racial tension, and run-ins with the LAPD whom they have a very testy relationship with. The group that featured Andre “Dr. Dre” Young (Corey Hawkins) O’Shea “Ice Cube” Jackson (O’Shea Jackson Jr.) Eric “Eazy-E” Wright (Jason Mitchell), Lorenzo “MC Ren” Patterson (Aldis Hodge), and Antoine “DJ Yella” Carraby (Neil Brown Jr.) weren’t afraid to be controversial while also took criticism where they were accused of being misogynistic which wasn’t entirely true. Despite their success, the group would fall apart not just due to mismanagement but also other things that led to Ice Cube and Dr. Dre to eventually have very successful solo careers while Eazy-E would run Ruthless Records until his death in 1995 of AIDS.
The film’s screenplay does play into some dramatic liberties and does play with some of the timeline as much of the film is told in the span of an entire decade from 1986 to Dr. Dre‘s departure from Death Row Records in 1996. It does help tell the story of the group’s formation as well as what lead to them falling apart just as they were becoming very successful. Eazy-E is first seen as a crack dealer trying to survive as well as living in the ghetto where houses are often being destroyed by the LAPD while Dr. Dre and DJ Yella are part of a group known as the World Class Wreckin’ Cru where they’re frustrated by playing music they don’t like. One of Dre’s friends in Ice Cube would get a chance to rap where it would give Eazy and his friend MC Ren some ideas about forming a group and make a song that would become Boyz-n-the-Hood that led to them being discovered by music industry veteran Jerry Heller (Paul Giamatti) to manage them and help Eazy for the label Ruthless Records.
Heller would be the man to not only make N.W.A. successful but would also cause the seeds of its dissolution once Ice Cube begins to raise questions about money and contracts that led to his departure in late 1989 and Dre‘s own departure in 1991 with the aid of a former bodyguard in Suge Knight (R. Marcos Taylor). While the script doesn’t give members like MC Ren and DJ Yella much to do other than be supporting players as it’s more focused on Dre, Cube, and Eazy. It does also play into the diverging directions the three would endure in the course of the story as well as the controversy they had to carry in their lives. The third act isn’t just about post-N.W.A. life for the three but also the attempt to reform the group just as everyone is growing up.
F. Gary Gray’s direction does have some air of style in the way the film opens as it establishes not just life in Compton but also this world where the LAPD will do things to establish their authority regardless if anyone did anything wrong. It is an inventive opener as it play into the world of the ghettos where Gray shot the film on location in Compton as well as parts of Los Angeles and other cities in California. It’s a world that is quite chaotic but also exciting where Gray would use some wide and medium shots to play into the look of the town as well as some of the other areas in Los Angeles. Yet, Gray maintains an intimacy as it play into these characters trying to deal with the police as well as trying to survive all of the things in the world as well as touring and all of the things that come into the world of success.
The direction doesn’t shy away from the fact that it has women not just acting like groupies and be naked in pool parties as it was part of the world and success N.W.A. had encounter while there would be some female characters that are positive figures for some of the characters. Especially in the third act where Dre, Cube, and Eazy would grow up and go into different directions while they would also endure some of the controversy they encounter as it relate to their music. There is a sequence that is a recreation of 1992 L.A. riots as it play into everything that N.W.A. would foretell in their music as well as Gray plays up that sense of reality as well as some of the struggle that Dre, Cube, and Eazy would go through after N.W.A. that would lead to its attempted reunion. Overall, Gray creates an exhilarating and provocative film about the world’s most dangerous group in popular music.
Cinematographer Matthew Libatique does amazing work with the film‘s cinematography from the usage of different colored lights and schemes for many of the interior scenes at the clubs as well as some of the lighting at night while going for something very natural in the daytime exterior scenes. Editors Billy Fox and Michael Tronick do excellent work with the editing as it has some bits of style while creating some unique rhythms for the intense moments such as the opening sequence. Production designer Shane Valentino, with art director Christopher Brown and set decorators Christopher Carlson and Jeffrey Kushon, does fantastic work with the look of the homes in Compton with its steel bars in the windows as well as the mansions the guys would live in later on as well as the look of the clubs and recording studios. Costume designer Kelli Jones does nice work with the costumes from the clothes that the group wear onstage as well as what they would wear offstage as it‘s mostly casual.
Makeup designer Debra Denson does terrific work with some of the makeup as it relates to the tattoos of some of the characters such as the look of Suge Knight‘s entourage. Visual effects supervisor Bernhard Kimbacher does superb work with some of the visual effects as it‘s mainly bits of set-dressing as well as in some of the recreation of the 1992 LA riots. Sound editors Greg Hedgepath and Mark P. Stoeckinger do brilliant work with the sound to capture the way music is sound in the recording studio and in the clubs as well as the sound of gunfire and such to play into some of the darker moments in the film. The film’s music by Joseph Trapanese is wonderful for its mixture of hip-hop and ambient music to play into culture of the LA ghettos while music supervisors Angela Leus and Jojo Villanueva create a fun soundtrack that features a lot of music from N.W.A., Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, 2Pac, Ice Cube, Eazy-E, Parliament-Funkadelic, Roy Ayers, and several other music in the world of hip-hop and R&B.
The casting by Victoria Thomas and Cindy Tolan is phenomenal as it features some notable small roles from Marcc Rose as Tupac Shakur (voiced by Darris Love), Keith Stansfield as Snoop Dogg, Sheldon A. Smith as Dre’s stepbrother/rapper Warren G., Keith Powers as Dre’s younger brother Tyree, Lisa Renee Pitts as Dre’s mother, Angela Elayne Gibbs and Bruce Beatty as Cube’s parents, Cleavon McLeadon as early Cube collaborator Sir Jinx, Mark Sherman as Interscope co-founder Jimmy Iovine, Elena Goode as Dre’s future wife Nicole, Tate Ellington as Priority Records executive Bryan Turner, and Corey Reynolds as World Class Wreckin’ Cru leader Alonzo Williams. Other noteworthy small roles include Marlon Yates Jr. as N.W.A. collaborator/lyricist The D.O.C., Alexandra Shipp as Cube’s future wife Kimberly Woodruff, and Carra Patterson as Eazy-E’s wife Tomica Woods-Wright who would make a major discovery about the business dealings in Ruthless.
R. Marcos Taylor is superb as Suge Knight as a former bodyguard who would co-found Death Row Records with Dr. Dre as he is this intimidating and dangerous figure that handled business in a brutal way as he would eventually alienate Dre. Paul Giamatti is fantastic as Jerry Heller as a music industry veteran who would manage N.W.A. and create Ruthless Records with Eazy as he would give the group success but also dissension once money and contracts come into play. Neil Brown Jr. is terrific as DJ Yella as the group’s DJ who would help mix and record much of the music as well as be someone who just loves the ladies. Aldis Hodge is excellent as MC Ren as an emcee who can spit rhymes while being Eazy’s loyal friend before and after N.W.A.
Corey Hawkins is amazing as Dr. Dre as the group’s DJ/emcee who is the musical talent of the group as he would create the music as he would later felt taken advantage by Heller forcing him to leave the group and form an alliance with Knight which he would later regret. Jason Mitchell is brilliant as Eazy-E as the group’s leader who would be a character of sorts for the group as well as the most outgoing as he would also be in charge of their destiny unaware of the chaos he’s causing in the group. Finally, there’s O’Shea Jackson Jr. in an incredible performance as his real-life father Ice Cube as he displays someone who has a lot of talent as a lyricist and as an emcee as he is also suspicious of Heller where he would go solo while dealing with the dark aspects of the music business.
Straight Outta Compton is a remarkable film from F. Gary Gray. Featuring a great cast, a compelling story, and a cool soundtrack, it’s a film that manages to be a fascinating bio-pic despite some of the dramatic liberties it took to tell the story of the world’s most dangerous group. In the end, Straight Outta Compton is a marvelous film from F. Gary Gray.
F. Gary Gray Films: (Friday (1995 film)) - (Set It Off) - (The Negotiator (1998 film)) - (A Man Apart) - (The Italian Job (2003 film)) - (Be Cool) - (Law Abiding Citizen) - (Fast 8)
© thevoid99 2016
Directed by Bill Polhad and screenplay by Oren Moverman and Michael Alan Lerner from a story by Lerner, Love & Mercy is the story of the Beach Boys co-founder Brian Wilson told in two parallel narrative that focuses on Wilson in the mid-1960s where he was considered an eccentric but gifted music genius and in the late 1980s as a shell of his former self under the abusive of his therapist until a Cadillac saleswoman saves him. The film is an unconventional bio-pic that explores Wilson’s rise and descent into madness and mental illness and later be saved when he is at his most vulnerable as Paul Dano and John Cusack play the role of Wilson in the 60s and 80s, respectively,. Also starring Elizabeth Banks and Paul Giamatti. Love & Mercy is ravishing and touching film from Bill Polhad.
The name Brian Wilson isn’t just synonymous with not music that would stand for eons but a man who was gifted yet troubled where he would succumb to mental illness and depression only to re-emerge a survivor and an icon. The film is about not just Wilson’s time in the mid-1960s where he would create the landmark album Pet Sounds as well as his attempts to make the album Smile. It’s also about the man 20 years later as he is under the control of therapist until he falls for a Cadillac saleswoman in Melinda Ledbetter (Elizabeth Banks) who would later become his savior. All of which is told in a parallel, back-and-forth narrative style that reflects on Wilson’s mental descent in the 1960s as well as emerging out of that dark cloud of abuse and confusion in the 1980s.
The film’s screenplay by Oren Moverman and Michael Alan Lerner create this narrative that plays into the highs and lows that Wilson would endure as a co-founder of the surf rock band the Beach Boys who were considered the American rivals to the Beatles in terms of creating top-notch pop songs. The film does give a brief insight into the Beach Boys’ rise where the bulk of the 1960s narrative begins with Wilson’s breakdown in an airplane that would ultimately keep him out of the road. Being grounded, Wilson would find a sanctuary at the studio where he would have all of the time in the world to create songs at his own pace while would wait for the band to return from touring to contribute vocals. That strand in the narrative shows not just the exuberance that Wilson had but also the emergence of his mental descent which was due to a lot of things such as drugs as well as his strained relationship with his father Murry (Bill Camp). The script also reveals the tension between Wilson and the band that ultimately led to the shelving of Smile.
The 1980s narrative which would inter-cut with the 60s narrative shows Wilson as a middle-aged man where it begins with him looking for a car to buy where he would meet Ledbetter who has no clue the man she was talking to is Brian Wilson. Yet, she somehow finds herself going out with Wilson, despite the presence of his therapist Dr. Eugene Landy (Paul Giamatti), where she gets to know the man and see someone who is a good person but also in need of help. Especially as he had been disconnected from his family including two daughters, his ex-wife, his mother, and his band that includes his brother Carl and cousin Mike Love under Landy’s supervision as Ledbetter gets to know more of the real Wilson but also observe what Landy does. One key scene involves Ledbetter coming to Wilson’s home to bring food where she hears Landy screaming at a heavily-medicated Wilson during a songwriting session as Ledbetter learns from Wilson’s maid Gloria (Diana Maria Riviera) about the extent of Landy’s abuse. It’s a key sequence in the film that would have Ledbetter take a stand no matter what kind of dirt Landy could dig up on her. Though there are a few dramatic liberties that Moverman and Lerner do for dramatic reasons, they don’t stray too far from the real story nor do anything to exaggerate things other than show a very fragile man in need of saving.
Bill Polhad’s direction definitely has an air of style as it play into not just the world Brian Wilson was in but also in somewhat Hellish-existence he was living in under Dr. Landy’s abuse. Due to the film’s complex narrative, Polhad definitely aims for different visual styles as it relates to tone of the times as well as Wilson’s own state of mind. The 1960s narrative definitely owes a lot to style in terms of its usage of different film stock which help play into the Beach Boys rise and Wilson coming into his own as a producer and songwriter. Many of the compositions are quite simple in its usage of close-ups and medium shots where it would play into what Wilson is doing as he hears ideas in his head that would unfortunately morph into voices of doubt from his father and cousin Mike (Jake Abel). There is a bit of usage in the hand-held cameras yet Polhad prefers to keep things simple while also create elements that play into Wilson’s encounter with psychedelic drugs that were helpful at first only to turn on him towards his mental descent. The 1980s narrative has Polhad go for something much simpler but also with a look that is a bit more polished as it play into a world that is sort of modern but one that Wilson seems detached from.
While many of the compositions are a bit more detached in some aspects as it relates to Wilson’s mental state, it does play into a man trying to get back into the world through Ledbetter. One sequence in which Ledbetter spends the night with Wilson has this unique tracking shot where Wilson becomes paranoid that someone is watching as he begs Ledbetter to leave but still be with him as it is a heartbreaking scene that shows how scared Wilson is. Another sequence in the film’s third act is this strange montage that has the older Wilson confront his past in flashbacks and hallucinations as it relates to the voices in his head where the two Wilsons do see each other as it play into what he lost and what he could gain. Overall, Polhad crafts a mesmerizing and riveting film about the life of Brian Wilson through all of its trials and tribulations in two different time periods.
Cinematographer Robert Yeomen does amazing work with the film‘s cinematography from the way many of the Californian location exteriors look to play into that sunny environment that inspired the music of the Beach Boys to some of the lush interiors inside the recording studios and the look of Wilson‘s two homes in the 80s that has this very lovely but unsettling look. Editor Dino Jonsater does brilliant work with the editing as it does play into the film‘s unique narrative style with its smooth transition cuts as well as some stylish montages and other cutting styles to play into some of the exuberance and dark moments in the film. Production designer Keith P. Cunningham, along with art directors Andrew Max Cahn and Luke Freeborn and set decorator Maggie Martin, does fantastic work with the home Wilson had in the 60s with its piano on top of a sandbox and the recording studios as well as the homes he had in the 1980s that are very sparse but also empty. Costume designer Danny Glicker does wonderful work with the costumes from the look of the 1960s clothes that many wear to the more casual look of the 1980s with the exception of the clothes that Ledbetter wore.
Makeup effects designer Tony Gardner does nice work with the look of some of the characters in the way they evolved in the 1960s as well as the comical yet terrifying look of Dr. Landy. Visual effects supervisor Luke T. DiTommaso does terrific work with some of the film‘s visual effects as it relates to Wilson‘s first acid trip that play into his desire for a new sound and some of its purity as well as a flashback sequence that relates to the story about how his father damaged his right ear. Sound designer Eugene Gearty and sound editor Nicholas Renbeck do excellent work with the sound in the way Wilson would hear things including a dinner sequence that would scare him as well as the more sparse moments during the scenes in the 80s where Wilson tries to deal with his mental state. The film’s music by Atticus Ross is incredible as it is largely a mixture of ambient sound textures as well as a collage of the music of the Beach Boys as their music is prominently featured along with a new song by Brian Wilson and other music that is played on the film from Dusty Springfield, the Moody Blues, Kenny G, and Heart.
The casting by Kerry Barden and Paul Schnee is great as it features some notable small roles from Oliver Polhad as the adolescent Brian Wilson in the flashback sequence, Morgan Phillips as Dr. Landy’s son Evan who watches over Wilson and Ledbetter during a boat trip, Erik Eidem as one of Wilson’s caretakers in Doug who becomes concerned of Dr. Landy’s treatment of Wilson, Joanna Going as Wilson’s mother Audree in the film’s flashbacks, and Diana Maria Riviera in a terrific role as Wilson’s maid Gloria who would help Ledbetter in saving Wilson. Other noteworthy small roles as members of the Wrecking Crew session players in Teresa Cowles as bassist Carole Kaye, Gary Griffin as keyboardist Al de Lory, and Johnny Sneed as drummer Hal Blaine along with Mark Linett as engineer Chuck Britz, Jeff Meacham as Pet Sounds lyricist Tony Asher, and Mark Schneider as Smile lyricist Van Dyke Parks as they play into the people who are in awe of Wilson’s gift as an artist.
Nick Gehlfuss and Graham Rogers are terrific in their respective roles as Beach Boys members Bruce Johnston and Al Jardine who both express a bit of reservation into what Wilson is doing. Bill Camp is excellent as Wilson’s father Murry who isn’t keen on what his son doing feeling it is straying from the formula as well as being this domineering figure that would continuously haunt Wilson for much of his life. Brett Davern is superb as Wilson’s younger brother Carl as one of the few who likes what his brother is doing while becoming concerned for his mental state of mind. Kenny Wormald is fantastic as Wilson’s youngest brother Dennis who likes what Wilson is doing while having a few reservations about its commercial prospects. Erin Darke is wonderful as Wilson’s first wife Marilyn who expresses concern about her husband’s mental state as well as trying to form the family that he would unfortunately become estranged to.
Jake Abel is amazing as Wilson’s cousin/Beach Boys vocalist Mike Love who expresses concern of not just what Wilson is doing musically but also for the fact that Wilson is straying from what made their music so popular. Paul Giamatti is marvelous as Dr. Eugene Landy as Wilson’s therapist during the 1980s who is trying to take care of him but his methods become abusive where he would even try to threaten Ledbetter as it’s a monstrous performance. Elizabeth Banks is phenomenal as Melinda Ledbetter as the woman who would become Wilson’s second wife as this former model-turned Cadillac saleswoman who befriends Wilson only to fall for him where she would also be the person that would save him and get back in touch with what was good in the world.
Finally, there’s John Cusack and Paul Dano in outstanding performances as Brian Wilson where both men provide unique aspects to the man. As the middle-aged Wilson in the 1980s, Cusack displays that sense of confusion and anguish into a man lost in a haze of medication as well as trying to find some good despite the paranoia he carries as it relates to Landy. As the young Wilson in the 1960s, Dano provides the exuberance to someone who realizes the power of his creativity as well as an innocence that he would eventually lose due to drugs and demons. Both Cusack and Dano create something that allows so many layers to the Brian Wilson myth but also ground it with a humanity and fragility that nearly destroyed the man.
Love & Mercy is an incredible from Bill Polhad that features the amazing dual performances of John Cusack and Paul Dano as Brian Wilson. Featuring an inventive narrative by screenwriters Michael Alan Lerner and Oren Moverman, a ravishing score by Atticus Ross, and Elizabeth Banks’ graceful performance as Melinda Ledbetter-Wilson. It’s a film that doesn’t play by the rules of the bio-pic genre while creating a unique study of a man/artist struggling with demons and his desire to create great music. In the end, Love & Mercy is a magnificent film from Bill Polhad.
© thevoid99 2016
Based on the book by Howard Stern, Private Parts is the story of shock-jock radio personality Howard Stern and his metaphoric rise into becoming the king of American radio through his controversial antics and no-holds-barred attitude. Directed by Betty Thomas and screenplay by Len Blum and Michael Kalesinko, the film is a dramatized take on Stern’s life from his early days trying to make it in radio to his success in being outlandish as he would spar with bosses from NBC. At the same time, the film explores Stern’s first marriage to Alison whom he was devoted to as Stern plays himself as associates such as Robin Quivers, Fred Norris, Jackie Martling, and Gary Dell’Abate also play themselves. Also starring Mary McCormack, Carol Alt, Michael Murphy, Allison Janney, and Paul Giamatti. Private Parts is a very raunchy yet hilarious film from Betty Thomas.
The film is dramatization into the life of Howard Stern as it’s told by the man himself as he deals with his success but also the radio personality that he created that has polarized people. A personality that isn’t afraid to speak his mind as well as not be afraid to be offensive and crass as he would tell his story on a flight home after the 1992 MTV Video Music Awards where he introduces his Fartman character to the delight of audiences but the disgust of celebrities. The film’s narrative is sort of a reflective one as it’s told by Stern from his childhood where he struggled to find a voice as he’s often told to shut by his father Ben (Richard Portnow) as well as trying to get laid where he would eventually meet his first wife Alison (Mary McCormack). After some early struggles and setbacks, Stern would eventually find his voice with the help of comedian/sound effects man Fred Norris and news anchor Robin Quivers who would help make him successful. It’s a film that really plays into a man trying to find himself and unleash all of his frustrations into a personality he would create for radio.
The film’s screenplay sort of moves back and forth with comments from Alison and Robin Quivers while there’s also moments that involve Stern’s longtime producer Gary Dell’Abate to help structure the story with some of Stern’s other strange guests to introduce some chapters into his life. Its first half plays into Stern’s childhood as well as his insecurities as a teenager as well as meeting Alison and Fred Norris as the latter would help hone Stern’s act through sound effects and material. The second half introduce Quivers to the story where she would become Stern’s voice of reason as well as reveal the kind of things Stern would say on the air including aspects of his personal life much to Alison’s dismay. Its third act would have Stern, Alison, Quivers, and Norris move to New York City to be part of WNBC where Stern would spar with his new bosses including Kenny Rushton (Paul Giamatti) whom Stern would refer to him as “Pig Vomit” on the show. All of which plays into Stern’s refusal to defy the censors to say what he needs to say.
Betty Thomas’ direction is very simple in the way she plays into Stern’s life where there’s moments that the fourth wall is broken such as the first scene of Stern as a college student where Stern himself is playing his old college version. It adds to the offbeat quality of the film as Quivers and Norris are also playing younger versions of themselves as much of the story is set in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Many of the compositions are simple as Thomas is more concerned with laying out the comedy while keeping the crassness to a minimum. Still, there’s elements of shock and low-brow antics that do keep things lively including scenes of Pig Vomit running through the halls during Stern’s broadcast. There’s also moments of style in a few slanted angles to play into Stern’s attempt to win over the suits at WNBC. The usage of tracking shots in the office scenes help play into the tension where it’s about Stern trying to not make any compromises and the people at WNBC trying to get rid of him. Overall, Thomas creates a very captivating and entertaining film about the life of Howard Stern.
Cinematographer Walt Lloyd does excellent work with the film‘s cinematography with some low-key lighting schemes for some of the film‘s nighttime interior scenes while it‘s mostly straightforward in its day and nighttime scenes. Editor Peter Teschner does superb work with the editing as it‘s straightforward while it features a few montages as well as a few jump-cuts to play into the film‘s humor. Production designer Charles Rosen, with set decorator Beth Kushnick and art director Rick Butler, does fantastic work with the look of the WNBC offices and studio as well as the different radio stations Stern would work for.
Costume designer Joseph G. Aulisi does terrific work with the costumes to play into the different look of the characters from the 1970s to the 1980s. Hair designer Colleen Callaghan does brilliant work with the design of Stern‘s different hairstyle throughout the years as well as Quivers‘ hair style during those early years with Stern. Sound editor John Dunn does work with the sound from the way Fred Norris creates his sound effects to some of the moments that play out on the radio and with the crowds. Music supervisor Peter Afterman does an amazing job in creating a soundtrack filled with a lot of rock music from the Cars, Van Halen, David Bowie, Marilyn Manson, Stern with the Dust Brothers, Rob Zombie, Porno for Pyros, Deep Purple, Green Day, the Ramones, Cheap Trick, Ted Nugent, and AC/DC who makes a special appearance in the film.
The casting by Olivia Harris and Phyllis Huffman is incredible as it features cameo appearances from John Stamos, Ted Nugent, MC Hammer, Ozzy Osbourne, Blues Traveler, former Guns N’ Roses guitarist Slash, Dee Snider, Flavor Flav, and Tiny Tim for the MTV Awards sequence plus Mia Farrow and David Letterman as themselves along with Stern associates in Crackhead Bob, Nicole Bass, and Stuttering John Melendez. Other notable appearances include such adult/porn star actresses like Amber Smith as a lesbian Stern interviews in D.C., Janine Lindemulder as a camp director’s wife Smith talks about, Camille Grammer as a woman wearing a bikini in the snow, and Jenna Jameson as a naked woman who appears in a show for Stern during his WNBC days.
Other noteworthy small roles include Leslie Bibb as a WNBC tour guide, Edie Falco as a friend of Alison, Michael C. Gwynne as a Detroit rock DJ who insults Stern, Paul Hecht as a news anchor who briefly replaces Robin, Allison Janney as a D.C. radio boss who dislikes Stern, Carol Alt as a woman Stern meets on a plane in the film’s beginning, Reni Santoni as a NBC radio boss, Michael Murphy as the head of WNBC who wants to get rid of Stern, and in the trio of the younger versions of Stern, there’s Bobby Boriello, Michael Maccarone, and Matthew Friedman who play the different versions of the young Stern. Richard Portnow and Kelly Bishop are wonderful as Stern’s parents with Portnow being the funny one who keeps telling the young Howard to shut up. Stern associates Gary Dell’Abate and Jackie Martling are terrific as themselves with Dell’Abate trying to get people to introduce the chapters while Martling arrives in WNBC as a new collaborator for Stern.
Fred Norris is fantastic in a version of himself as this oddball comedian who helps Stern out with his routine by creating sound effects and other things that would be very funny. Mary McCormack is brilliant as Alison Stern as the wife who would support him as well as endure some of his crass jokes which would upset her but understands his need to vent. Robin Quivers is amazing as the woman who would be Stern’s conscience in his talk show as well as say some funny things as she brings a lot of personality and wit to her persona. Paul Giamatti is phenomenal in his breakthrough role as Kenny “Pig Vomit” Rushton as a WNBC suit who tries to break Stern and mold him into something safe as it’s a performance that is very funny in the way he becomes a foil for Stern and his gang. Finally, there’s Howard Stern in a remarkable performance as himself as he displays some humility and sensitivity for the scenes outside of the radio while being very crass when he’s on the radio as he has this nice balance to showcase who he is and be unapologetic about it.
Private Parts is a sensational film from Betty Thomas about the infamous yet funny radio shock-jock Howard Stern as the man himself gives a great performance. Along with some amazing supporting performances from Robin Quivers, Mary McCormack, Fred Norris, and Paul Giamatti. It’s a film that isn’t afraid to be out there and even be politically incorrect as it relates to who Stern is and why he is so controversial. In the end, Private Parts is a gloriously hilarious film from Betty Thomas.
© thevoid99 2015
Directed by Steven Spielberg and written by Robert Rodat, Saving Private Ryan is the story of an Army captain and his squad who trek through World War II-era France to find a lost paratrooper as he is the last-surviving brother of a group of servicemen. The film is a World War II story where a man and his team trek through treacherous battlefields and events to get a young man back home during a very tense moment during the war. Starring Tom Hanks, Edward Burns, Tom Sizemore, Vin Diesel, Jeremy Davies, Giovanni Ribisi, Barry Pepper, Adam Goldberg, and Matt Damon as Private James Ryan. Saving Private Ryan is a thrilling yet visceral film from Steven Spielberg.
The film is a simple story set in World War II in France in the aftermath of D-Day where an Army captain is assigned to retrieve a young private whose brothers had already been killed as he is to return home. Joined by his squad, Captain John Miller (Tom Hanks) treks through war-torn France to find Private James Ryan as they travel by foot. During this treacherous journey, the men endure many chilling events as well as false discoveries where they would eventually find Private Ryan who is bewildered into why he has to go home and not everyone else. Robert Rodat’s screenplay definitely plays into the scary themes of war and the sacrifices men make as Captain Miller and his men are just normal men that also want to go home but know they have a duty to their country. Even as not everyone is on board to sacrifice their lives to bring one man home as does Captain Miller but knows he has a duty to get Private Ryan home.
The film’s screenplay doesn’t start off with the actual story but opens with a present-day scene of an old man (Harrison Young) in modern-day France as he looks into the Normandy American Cemetery Memorial as it would then shift to the actual battle that Captain Miller and his squad were fighting in. The main story comes in when Captain Miller is asked by his superior in Lt. Col. Anderson (Dennis Farina) to retrieve Pvt. Ryan after three of his older brothers had been killed in different parts of the war as the orders are from General George C. Marshall (Harve Presnell). Though it’s a big deal, Captain Miller takes the mission with his small squad as it would include a newcomer in Corporal Upham (Jeremy Davies) who is an accomplished interpreter but lacks combat experience as he is treated with some disdain by the squad he joins in because of his inexperience. Still, they all have to work together as they would encounter some horrible moments in battle as they would fight Germans through dark parts of France where not everyone is able to cope with.
Steven Spielberg’s direction is definitely intense in terms of his depiction of the battles and war scenes. Though it does start off in a somber manner, it then shifts into what is truly one of the most visceral sequences ever that is the battle at Omaha Beach in Normandy where Captain Miller and various soldiers go into battle. It’s 23 minutes that is definitely uneasy to watch as it is war at its most horrific as Spielberg definitely makes no qualms into how gruesome it is in terms of the impact of its violence. One of the aspects of the film that is interesting is how he is able to shift tones into one sequence into another yet maintain a balance as he does shoot many scenes in very different ways. The scenes of war and engagement are shot with hand-held cameras and frenetic cuts to play into its sense of terror and uncertainty. Spielberg’s usage of close-ups and wide shots into that sequence and other moments of battles with some slanted camera angles definitely add something that feels real where it does imply that war is indeed hell. While much of the film is shot partially in Normandy, much of the battle scenes including the Omaha Beach sequence were shot in Ireland yet Spielberg does manage to make it feel like it’s the actual battle.
While it is a war film, Spielberg does balance that aspect of war’s horror with elements of sentimentality as it plays to what is at stake in Captain Miller’s mission. Notably as Spielberg isn’t afraid to create something intimate whether it’s scenes set in the U.S. involving Private Ryan and his family to the moments where Captain Miller and his squad are walking through France. Spielberg’s approach to close-ups, medium shots, and wide shots definitely add to this feeling that it’s a film about brothers but men who are willing to put their lives for one another. Even as that bond becomes intense in its third act where the men eventually find Private Ryan who is also trying to do his own duty in this band of brothers as he and Captain Miller would have to work together to fight against the German in a climatic battle. Overall, Spielberg creates a very exhilarating yet rapturous film about war and a man trying to fight for his life to bring a young man back home.
Cinematographer Janusz Kaminski does incredible work with the film‘s cinematography as Kaminski brings a desaturated look to its colors from its very harrowing Omaha Beach sequence to some striking lighting for some nighttime interior scenes where the men rest during their journey to find Private Ryan. Editor Michael Kahn does phenomenal work with the film‘s editing with its frenetic approach to cutting for some of the battle scenes including the Omaha sequence as well as some more methodical and straightforward cuts for the dramatic moments including a montage which plays into the decision to bring Private Ryan home. Production designer Thomas E. Sanders, with set decorator Lisa Dean and supervising art director Daniel Dorrance, does brilliant work with the look of destroyed buildings in France as well as the battle trenches for the Omaha Beach sequence. Costume designer Joanna Johnston does excellent work with the costumes from the design of the uniforms as well as the officer uniforms for the scenes in the U.S.
Makeup work by Lois Burwell, Conor O’Sullivan, and Daniel C. Striepeke do amazing work with the look of war in terms of its chaos where soldiers would lose limbs or have major wounds to play into its horror. Visual effects supervisors Stefen Fangmeier and Roger Guyett do fantastic work with some of the film‘s minimal visual effects in terms of the battle sequences including the very gruesome look of the Omaha Beach sequence. Sound designer Gary Rydstrom and sound editor Richard Hymns do spectacular work with the film‘s sound to create that horrific atmosphere of war from the sound of gunfire, cannons, and grenades to play into its chaos while going for more low-key sound effects in the non-battle scenes. The film’s music by John Williams is superb for its triumphant yet melancholic score as it features some lush string arrangements as well as drum cadences to play into the sense of war and duty as it’s one of his finest scores.
The casting by Denise Chamain is wonderful as it features notable small roles from Amanda Boxer as Pvt. Ryan’s mother, Dale Dye and Bryan Cranston as two officers from the war department, Harve Presnell as General George C. Marshall, Joerg Stadler as a German soldier the men would capture whom Cpl. Upham would converse with, Leland Orser as a glider pilot Miller meets during his journey, and Nathan Fillion as a young soldier who also has the same surname in Ryan. Other noteworthy small roles include Dennis Farina as Captain Miller’s superior in Lt. Col. Anderson and Ted Danson as a captain whom Captain Miller meets during a battle as two men who understands the severity of what Captain Miller has to endure, Max Martini is terrific as a corporal in Ramelle that Pvt. Ryan fights with while Paul Giamatti in a funny performance as a staff sergeant who also fights in a battle as he complains about his feet. Harrison Young is excellent as the old man in the beginning of the film and Kathleen Byron is radiant as that old man’s wife.
Giovanni Ribisi is fantastic as the medic Wade who is trying to make sure all of his band of brothers stay alive as he has a great scene involving a mother he meets in a church. Vin Diesel is superb as Pvt. FC Carpazo as an Italian-American rifleman who looks tough and is quite funny but also display some sensitivity as he is someone that is loyal to his squad. Adam Goldberg is amazing as Jewish rifleman Private Mellish who takes Corporal Upham under his wing to show him what to do in battle as he also has some very big reasons to keep on fighting. Barry Pepper is brilliant as the sharpshooter Private Jackson who is a man of faith as he always prays before he shoots as he’s a skilled marksman that does whatever it takes to protect his band of brothers. Edward Burns is great as the cynical Pvt FC Reiben as he is a BAR gunner that isn’t happy about taking on the mission as he definitely gets the ire of Captain Miller yet does have some valid reasons into why they shouldn’t do the mission.
Tom Sizemore is incredible as Sergeant Horvath as Captain Miller’s second-in-command as someone who had been through all sorts of battle with a massive collection of dirt as he is seen by the squad as the older brother. Jeremy Davies is phenomenal as Cpl. Upham as an interpreter/cartographer who may outrank most of the squad but his inexperience in combat showcases someone who is scared of fighting as he copes with the horrors of being in the battlefield as it’s a really chilling performance of someone who displays the sense of fear in war. Matt Damon is marvelous as Private James Ryan as the young man Captain Miller and his squad had to retrieve as Damon displays some charm as well as a stubbornness as someone that wants to keep on fighting and do his duty as a soldier. Finally, there’s Tom Hanks in an outstanding performance as Captain Miller as this man who is tasked to bring a young private home as he copes with the severity of his mission and wonders if he will get to go home. Hanks also displays a sense of leadership in his role where he manages to be the big guy but also one that carries respect and cares for those in his squad as it’s one of his most iconic performances.
Saving Private Ryan is a magnificent film from Steven Spielberg. Armed with a great ensemble cast as well as some amazing technical achievements, the film is undoubtedly one of the finest war films ever created in terms of displaying its sense of duty and the fear of being in a war. It’s also a film that displays the concept of brotherhood as soldiers do whatever to fight for each other in a war. In the end, Saving Private Ryan is a triumphantly powerful and riveting film from Steven Spielberg.
Steven Spielberg Films: (Duel (1971 film)) - (The Sugarland Express) - (Jaws) - (Close Encounters of the Third Kind) - (1941) - (Raiders of the Lost Ark) - (E.T. the Extraterrestrial) - (Twilight Zone: the Movie-Kick the Can) - (Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom) - (The Color Purple) - (Empire of the Sun) - (Always) - (Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade) - (Hook) - (Jurassic Park) - Schindler’s List - (The Lost World: Jurassic Park) - (Amistad) - (A.I. Artificial Intelligence) - (Minority Report) - Catch Me If You Can - (The Terminal) - (War of the Worlds (2005 film)) - (Munich) - (Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull) - (The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn) - (War Horse) - (Lincoln) - (Bridge of Spies) - (The BFG)
© thevoid99 2014
Based on the comic by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko, The Amazing Spider-Man 2 is the sequel to the 2012 re-boot where Peter Parker deals with new foes as well as trying to protect his girlfriend Gwen Stacy while trying to uncover the secret of his parents’ disappearance. Directed by Marc Webb and screenplay by Alex Kurtzman, Roberto Orci, and Jeff Pinker from a story by Kurtzman, Orci, Pinker, and James Vanderbilt. The film has Parker struggle with his role as superhero as he also deals with elements of his family’s past as well as deal with new foes as Andrew Garfield reprises his role as Peter Parker/Spider-Man. Also starring Emma Stone, Sally Field, Dane DeHaan, Jamie Foxx, Paul Giamatti, Felicity Jones, Campbell Scott, Embeth Davidtz, and Chris Cooper. The Amazing Spider-Man 2 is an extremely messy, bloated, and very uninteresting film from Marc Webb.
The film revolves around Spider-Man not only dealing with being a superhero who saves everyone in New York City but also coping with who he is as Peter Parker as he tries to juggle a lot in his plate as his relationship with Gwen Stacy (Emma Stone) begins to suffer. Especially as he sees ghostly visions of Stacy’s father (Denis Leary) which forces Peter to keep a promise that Gwen’s father has asked. When an old friend of Peter in Harry Osborn (Dane DeHaan) returns to take over his father’s business, Peter begins to wonder about what happened to his parents and why they left him as he faces a series of villains that all have a grudge towards Spider-Man. It’s a film that could’ve been very simple but due to many subplots and stories revolving around Parker’s struggle in his relationship with Stacy as well as the secrets about his family ends up being a film that is very incomprehensible and hard to follow at times.
The film’s screenplay is an example of how messy the film is as it tries to put a lot into the story where it would move from one subplot to another. It’s one of the reasons why the film felt hollow and unsatisfying as it is unable to really do something. At the same time, there are aspects of the script that look like it wanted to say something but it ended up being cut out in the end due to time constraints and such. The villains in the film aren’t very interesting as Aleksi Sytsevich (Paul Giamatti) is just a crazed thief who only appears in an early sequence and at the film’s ending. The character Max Dillon (Jamie Foxx) starts off as this nerd whom Spider-Man saves but an accident involving electric eels where he becomes Electro has him end up being one of the lamest villains ever. While the character arc of Harry Osborn is sort of interesting, the payoff in having him become the Green Goblin is another disappointing moment.
There’s so much in the script that really fails to really do anything as the story involving Peter’s father Richard (Campbell Scott) does get unveiled but ends up raising more questions about exactly what was Norman Osborn (Chris Cooper) trying to do that led to Richard’s disappearance. Even as it relates to Harry who is succumbing from a disease that would claim Norman as it would play into this confrontation between him and Peter in the third act. There’s attempts to put in some humor in the film as it involves a captured Electro and a mad scientist in Dr. Kafka (Marton Csokas) which doesn’t work at all. While the few highlights in the script involves Peter trying to maintain his friendship with Gwen as well as trying to get answers from Aunt May (Sally Field) about his father. It’s not enough to really save the film from being interesting.
Marc Webb’s direction is definitely all over the place as it’s clear that he was trying to do something where he wants to give audiences everything they want. Instead, it’s a film that feels like several different movies that all feature Spider-Man but none of it really feels cohesive. The sequence of Spider-Man chasing Sytsevich that is inter-cut with Gwen becoming valedictorian is an example of what the film is going to be as it tries to be funny and exciting but ends up being very incomprehensible. While Webb does keep things simple for scenes involving Peter and Gwen as it includes a few funny moments, some of the humor does feel forced such as a scene where a security officer (B.J. Novak) tries to go after Gwen.
It’s among the many issues that the film has where Webb definitely feels overwhelmed by the scale as some sequences such as Spider-Man’s first battle with Electro in Time Square is quite bloated as would the climatic two-on-one battle between Electro and the Green Goblin. There’s very little chance for the audience to grasp into what is happening where it meanders in some places while the payoffs end up being very disappointing. Then there’s the ending which is very clear that Webb isn’t in control as it does feel over-drawn and overblown to set things up for the next film. Even as there’s parts of the film where it feels like they’ve been cut down to get things moving as it feels like they’re part of something longer. All of which is shown that it’s a studio that is in control of the film and the overall result is a film that doesn’t bring anything exciting nor anything that is remotely entertaining but rather pointless and empty.
Cinematographer Daniel Mindel does some nice work with cinematography for some of the scenes in New York City but it never really does anything to stand out visually as it often feels like it‘s dominated by visual effects. Editor Pierto Scalia does terrible work with the editing as it plays into too much fast-cutting for the action scenes while some of the montages of Spider-Man doing his duty is comically bad. Production designer Mark Friedberg, with set decorator Susan Bode and supervising art director Richard L. Johnson, does excellent work with the set pieces from the look of the Oscorp building and its main office as well a few places in the city. Costume designer Deborah Lynn Scott does good work with the costumes as it‘s mostly casual with the exception of the corporate clothes of the people at Oscorp.
Makeup designer Ve Neill does some OK work with the look of Electro in his electronic state though the look of the Green Goblin ends up being very silly. Visual effects supervisor Gregory L. McMurry does some superb work with the visual effects for the way Spider-Man moves around with his webs though some of it is very bloated such as the scenes involving Electro with all sorts of electricity that just looks dumb. Sound designers Eric A. Norris and Addison Teague do some fine work with the sound though some of the sound effects feels like they‘re trying to create sounds for dubstep records which were unnecessary. The film’s music by Hans Zimmer, Johnny Marr, and Pharrell Williams has some worthwhile moments in its orchestral score from Zimmer with some guitar flourishes by Marr yet much of the contributions from Williams as well as Junkie XL, Michael Einzinger, and a few others are awful as it ranges from bad dubstep electronic music to other bombastic moments that are terrible while some of the music contributions from Phillips Phillips and OK Go is just crap.
The casting by Kathleen Chopin definitely has some moments though many of the actors that do appear in the film definitely are wasted in some uninspiring parts such as Felicity Jones as Harry’s assistant Felicia, B.J. Novak as an Oscorp securities officer, Campbell Scott and Embeth Davidtz as Peter’s parents in the film’s opening sequence, Colm Feore as an Oscorp executive who tries to cover things up from Harry, and Denis Leary in a very silly performance as Gwen’s late father who continuously haunts Peter about keeping that vow. Marton Csokas is hilariously awful as Dr. Kafka who is this mad scientist that seems to be from another film as he’s playing music from A Clockwork Orange as it’s a performance that is just mind-numbingly stupid to watch. Chris Cooper is OK in his brief role as an ailing Norman Osborn who warns Harry about what will happen to him as it’s a good performance but definitely under-written considering Norman’s history with Peter’s father.
Paul Giamatti is horrible as Aleksi Sytsevich as this Russian criminal who battles Spider-Man early in the film as he sports a bad accent as he isn’t seen until he is part of the film’s over-drawn ending as Rhino. Sally Field is excellent as Aunt May as she is trying to cope with being all alone and caring for Peter while admitting that there’s some dark truths in relation to Peter’s father that she doesn’t want Peter to know about. Jamie Foxx is alright as Max Dillon/Electro as this nerd who thinks he’s special when he meets Spider-Man only to get into an accident as he becomes this very lame villain which doesn’t do anything for Foxx. Dane DeHaan is pretty good as Harry Osborn as this old friend of Peter who learns he is dying from a disease only to go crazy as DeHaan does goes overboard with being over the top while looking very stupid as the Green Goblin.
Emma Stone is wonderful as Gwen Stacy as Peter’s longtime girlfriend who copes with him being the superhero as well as the vow he made with her father as she tries to uncover the things that Oscorp is hiding. Finally, there’s Andrew Garfield in a fine performance as Peter Parker/Spider-Man as Garfield has some moments where he is being cool and anguished but some of the humorous moments feel awkward as well as some of the very emotive scenes as it’s really due to the script that doesn’t do him any favors.
The Amazing Spider-Man 2 is a film that doesn’t live up to its amazing namesake. In fact, it is an absolutely horrific and extremely lifeless film that doesn’t offer very much other than elements of boredom and too many storylines that it is hard to follow. It’s a film that showcases what happens when a franchise gets re-booted for the wrong reasons and in the hands of people who don’t know a thing about films. In the end, The Amazing Spider-Man 2 is a horrendously bloated and nonsensical film from Marc Webb and the people of Sony and Marvel.
Spider Man Films: Spider-Man - Spider-Man 2 - Spider-Man 3 - The Amazing Spider-Man - Spider-Man: Homecoming - Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse - Spider-Man: Far from Home
© thevoid99 2014
Based on the novel by Emma McLaughlin and Nicola Kraus, The Nanny Diaries is the story of a college graduate who gets hired by a rich woman to become a nanny to her son as the job ends up becoming a nightmare. Written for the screen and directed by Robert Pulcini and Shari Springer Berman, the film is an exploration into the world of nannies as a young woman deals with her new job as well as the world that her client lives that would prove to be troubling for her client’s child. Starring Scarlett Johansson, Laura Linney, Chris Evans, Nicholas Art, Donna Murphy, Alicia Keys, and Paul Giamatti. The Nanny Diaries is a very conventional and mediocre film from Robert Pulcini and Shari Springer Berman.
The film plays into the world of a young woman who becomes a nanny to a young boy whose rich mother makes her new job a living nightmare. It’s a film that plays into this college graduate trying to bring happiness to the life of a young boy while seeing that the woman whose son she’s taking care of starting to fall apart due to her neglectful husband. All of which is told from the perspective of its lead character Annie Braddock (Scarlett Johansson) who tries to understand her new surroundings, based on her studies in anthropology, yet deals with the neglect of the boy Grayer (Nicholas Art) and the world of Grayer’s mother Mrs. X (Laura Linney) who hides her unhappiness through shopping and social events. Even as she has Grayer go to the best schools and such to think that she’s a great mother only to be in denial as Annie watches from afar as she is dealing with her feelings in a neighbor known as the Harvard Hottie (Chris Evans).
The film’s screenplay definitely wants to be all sorts of things but it is quite messy where much of it ends up being very conventional. Though it is told from Annie’s perspective, it’s a film that has her be put into some very ridiculous situations such as her first days as a nanny to Grayer which is a nightmare. Though there would be events which would shift into something less chaotic where Grayer starts to trust Annie more, it does feel contrived at times where it wants to be this exploration into the world of nannies. It wants to have some idea of satire but some of the dramatic embellishments makes it hard for the film to be taken seriously as it would play into Annie’s conflict in her work as the one person she would never tell about her new job is her mother (Donna Murphy) until one day when Grayer became sick. It would then lead into this dramatic third act that is wrapped into sentimentality but also moments that definitely feels contrived.
While the direction of Robert Pulcini and Shari Springer Berman does have some moments such as the scenes involving Annie’s interest in anthropology and some funny moments such as Annie’s fantasy of being a nanny as it relates to Mary Poppins. Unfortunately, their script makes the film very uneven in tone where it wants to be all sorts of things but it would end up feeling very pedestrian in its approach to humor and drama. Especially in some scenes where some of Pulcini’s own editing really tries to hard to make the drama mean something only to become very manipulative. Since the film is told from Annie’s perspective where it requires a lot of voiceover narration, it ends up being a tool that becomes very expository to the point that it becomes unnecessary where the filmmakers don’t seem to trust the audience enough to have any ideas on what is going on. Overall, Pulcini and Berman create a film that has some good moments but end up creating an overly drawn-out and contrived film that ends up not having much to say.
Cinematographer Terry Stacey does nice work with much of the lighting in the film‘s exterior location settings in New York City along with some unique scenes for the anthropology sequences. Production designer Mark Ricker, with set decorator Andrew Baseman and Ben Barraud, does excellent work in the set designs such as the posh home of the X‘s as well as some of the places in New York City. Costume designer Michael Wilkinson does terrific work with the posh dresses that Mrs. X wears to the more casual look of Annie and the Harvard Hottie.
Visual effects supervisor Harry Dorrington does wonderful work with some of the visual effects such as Annie‘s Mary Poppins-inspired fantasy. Sound editor Nicholas Renbeck does superb work with the sound with some of the location sounds in New York and in the Hamptons plus some of the parties and such that Annie and Grayer go to. The film’s music by Mark Suozzo is pretty good for some of the upbeat orchestral score for its humorous moments though the dramatic portions end up being very heavy-handed in its arrangements while music supervisor Randall Poster does create a fun soundtrack filled with music from George Michael, Lily Allen, and some 70s disco music.
The casting by Ann Goulder is brilliant for some of the notable small roles from Julie White as a society lady, Judith Roberts as Mr. X’s very drunken mother, and James Urbaniak as an educational counselor. Alicia Keys is excellent as Annie’s friend Lynette who tries to ground Annie while living a much easier life without many responsibilities. Donna Murphy is terrific as Annie’s mother Judy who wants the best for her daughter but is baffled by her daughter’s decision to work as a nanny. Paul Giamatti is wasted as Mr. X as he doesn’t appear very often and his character is essentially a caricature as this neglectful husband/father who likes to sleep with other women and be very mean. Nicholas Art is amazing as the young boy Grayer as a child who just wants attention and be loved though some of his development in the script doesn’t work.
Chris Evans is superb as the Harvard Hottie as Mrs. X’s neighbor who befriends Annie while trying to understand why she would take this job as he warns about the dangers of getting too close. Laura Linney is fantastic as Mrs. X as this very pampered high-society woman who tries to maintain her reputation to mask the unhappiness she is having in her marriage while being oblivious in her role as a mother. Finally, there’s Scarlett Johansson in a performance that is pretty good at times where Johansson displays some charm and charisma to the role though there’s moments where she can’t really play into the film’s humor as it comes off as awkward and forced. Much of that material has Johansson feel miscast though she does try to make it earnest as it’s a performance that has its good moments but also some bad ones.
The Nanny Diaries is an unremarkable film from Robert Pulcini and Shari Springer Berman. Despite the performances from Scarlett Johansson, Laura Linney, and Chris Evans, it’s a film that tried to be a lot of things but ends up being very conventional with its contrivances and ridiculous moments. In the end, The Nanny Diaries is a very mediocre and bland film from Robert Pulcini and Shari Springer Berman.
Robert Pulcini & Shari Springer Berman Films: (Off the Menu: The Last Days of Chasen’s) - American Splendor - (Wanderlust (2006 film)) - (The Extra Man) - (Cinema Verite) - (Girl Most Likely) - (Ten Thousand Saints)
© thevoid99 2014
Based on the comic series by Harvey Pekar and the graphic novel Our Cancer Year by Pekar and Joyce Brabner, American Splendor is the story of comic book writer Harvey Pekar who would create a comic book based on his own misery as he would become sort of famous while struggling with depression and such. Written for the screen and directed by Robert Pulcini and Shari Springer Berman, the film is a mixture of documentary and dramatization as the real Pekar and Brabner appear in the film, along with Pekar’s friend Toby Radloff, while they’re respectively played by Paul Giamatti and Hope Davis. Also starring Judah Friedlander and James Urbaniak as Robert Crumb. American Splendor is an imaginative yet captivating film about the life of Harvey Pekar.
Through his American Splendor comics that he would write, Harvey Pekar would gain fame writing about his own miserable life in his hometown of Cleveland as he would become a cult figure and make appearances on David Letterman’s talk show during the 1980s and early 1990s. Yet, the film is told in a very unconventional style where it plays into dramatized versions of Pekar’s life as he endures his dissolution of his second marriage and finding inspiration to write his comic with the help of Robert Crumb’s illustration that would also lead him to meet and marry his longtime partner Joyce Brabner. The film also is told in a documentary fashion where the real Pekar and Brabner are interviewed as the film would also incorporate archival footage of Pekar’s appearances on David Letterman’s show plus a MTV news footage of Toby Radloff preparing for Spring Break as he is seen as a goofball.
The film’s screenplay showcases much of Pekar’s misery early in his life as he spends much of his time working as a file clerk in a Cleveland hospital whenever he’s not writing. Yet, it would feature moments that would eventually motivate Pekar into becoming a writer as the first act revealed how he met Robert Crumb while the second act is about how he met Joyce Brabner through corresponding letters as she was asking for an issue of one of his comics. Pekar and Brabner’s relationship is one of the aspects of the story that makes interesting as their marriage would eventually become material of its own where the third act is about the making of Our Cancer Year when Pekar was suffering from cancer in the early 1990s as it would give the duo rave reviews as well as a new lease on life despite Pekar’s on-going encounter with misery and Joyce’s refusal to work as well as analyzing people about their neuroses.
The direction of Robert Pulcini and Shari Springer Berman is quite abstract not just in its offbeat presentation but also in how they approach the story. Much of the dramatization portion of the film is shot on location in Cleveland where it focuses largely on intimate compositions from close-ups and medium shots along with unique camera angles to play into Pekar’s life and his relationship with Brabner. There’s even moments in the dramatization where Brabner watches the real-life footage of Pekar on David Letterman through his many appearances with the exception of his final appearance on the show which is presented in a dramatic context due to the controversy that Pekar would create that eventually kicked him out of the show for good. Some of the direction infuses some animation by John Kuramato that sort of breaks down the fourth wall as it would often motivate Pekar or play into what Joyce would see upon meeting Pekar for the first time.
The documentary portion of the film is shot in a soundstage where the real life Pekar, Brabner, and Radloff show up while the actors would play them would be in the background. There’s some interviews in the film to play into Pekar and Brabner’s commentary on their own marriage plus Radloff embracing his role as a nerd. With Pulcini as the film’s editor, he uses a lot of archival news footage as well as Pekar’s appearances on David Letterman to great use along with montages about how his stories in his comics would mirror his own real life. Much of the editing is stylized yet the direction remains very intact to play into Pekar’s world and his struggles with depression and cancer where it ends unconventionally but also with tenderness that showcased how far Pekar has gone into becoming a celebrated figure in American literature. Overall, Pulcini and Berman craft a very lively and whimsical portrait of a writer who creates art through his own misery.
Cinematographer Terry Stacey does amazing work with the film’s cinematography from the way it captures some of the realism of the locations in Cleveland to some of the lighting in some of its interiors for the scenes at the New York City hotels that Joyce and Harvey stayed during his David Letterman appearances. Production designer Therese DePrez and set decorator Robert DeSue do fantastic work with the set pieces from the messy home of Harvey Pekar as well as file-hall where he does much of his work. Costume designer Michael Wilkinson does nice work with the costumes as it‘s very low-key and drab to play into the personalities of Pekar and Brabner.
Sound editor Nicholas Renbeck does terrific work with the sound from some of the sound collages in some of the images in Pekar‘s comics as well as some of the sound effects. The film’s music by Mark Suozzo is brilliant as it low-key in its emphasis on Americana with folk and jazz while music supervisor Linda Cohen brings in a fun soundtrack filled with jazz, rock, and pop music to play into the different time periods that Pekar lived in his life.
The casting by Ann Goulder is great as it features appearances from the real Harvey Pekar, Joyce Brabner, Toby Radloff, and Pekar/Brabner’s adopted daughter Danielle Batone plus cameos from Donal Logue and Molly Shannon as stage versions of Harvey and Joyce, respectively. Other notable small roles include Daniel Tay as a young Harvey Pekar, Earl Billings as Pekar’s hospital boss Mr. Boats, Maggie Moore as an old classmate that Harvey runs into, Vivienne Benesch as his second ex-wife, and Madilyn Sweeten as the young Danielle whom Harvey and Joyce would befriend during the making of Our Cancer Year. James Urbaniak is excellent as the famed comic illustrator Robert Crumb where Urbaniak brings a low-key approach to his role as someone with an odd sense of humor. Judah Friedlander is amazing as the nerdy Toby Radloff who always like to do nerdy things and spend part of his time eating jellybeans, White Castle burgers, and embracing his role as a nerd.
Hope Davis is phenomenal as Joyce Brabner as she brings this character full of frustrations and low expectations while often analyzing people and describe their neuroses as it’s one of Davis’ dazzling performances. Finally, there’s Paul Giamatti in an outstanding performance as Harvey Pekar as it is a performance that provides a lot of laughs as well as anguish where Giamatti brings that sense of misery and despair that makes the character so engaging while also showcasing some offbeat humor as it’s Giamatti in one of his greatest roles ever.
American Splendor is a magnificent film from Robert Pulcini and Shari Springer Berman. Armed with the great performances of Paul Giamatti and Hope Davis along with its unconventional presentation between documentary and dramatization. It’s a film that explores the world of one of the great writers of American comics without the need to go into any kind of convention while being humorous and heartwarming. In the end, American Splendor is a tremendously rich film from Robert Pulcini and Shari Springer Berman.
Robert Pulcini & Shari Springer Berman Films: (Off the Menu: The Last Days of Chasen’s) - (Wanderlust (2006 film)) - The Nanny Diaries - (The Extra Man) - (Cinema Verite) - (Girl Most Likely) - (Ten Thousand Saints)
© thevoid99 2014
Based on the autobiography by Solomon Northup, 12 Years a Slave is the true story of Northup’s life where he was a free black man living in the North until he is kidnapped in Washington, D.C. where he is sold as a slave as he endures hardships for 12 years. Directed by Steve McQueen and screenplay by John Ridley, the film is an exploration into a man who endures the worst kind of cruelty towards humanity as he deals with the world of slavery as Northup is played by Chiwetel Ejiofor. Also starring Michael Fassbender, Benedict Cumberbatch, Paul Dano, Paul Giamatti, Sarah Paulson, Alfre Woodard, Lupita Nyong’o, Michael K. Williams, Scott McNairy, and Brad Pitt. 12 Years a Slave is a harrowing yet visceral film from Steve McQueen.
The film is this simple story about a man named Solomon Northup who lived a decent life in Saratoga, New York in 1841 where he is asked by two men to play for a show in Washington, D.C. where he accepts the offer until he wakes up in chains as he’s sold to slavery where he endures cruelty under different masters for 12 years. It’s a film that explores a man who had this very good life in the North where he finds himself in a world that is very different in the South where blacks are treated as a form of property by their masters. The 12-year journey that Northup encounters where he’s called Platt, he doesn’t just see the cruelty of slavery but also how dangerous he is as he’s a man that is educated where slaves tell him to keep his head down and just do your work so there won’t be anymore trouble. Still, he just couldn’t comprehend the atrocities that he sees and endures in the 12 years of being a slave.
John Ridley’s screenplay definitely explores the 12 years of Northup’s life where its first scene is Northup as a slave cutting down sugar canes for another master as he then reflects on the life he had. Much of the film’s first half showcases bits of Northup’s life as a free man while revealing how he had been tricked by two men (Scoot McNairy and Taran Killam) into doing a show for them where he wakes up the next morning in chains. Ridley’s script is largely told from Northup’s perspective as he watches the world he’s in as he has to see a woman named Eliza (Adepero Oduye) be separated from her children as they’re also sold to slavery. Northup’s encounter with slavery has him endure the supervision of different masters where the first is this Baptist preacher in William Ford (Benedict Cumberbatch) who is much kinder to his slave though he’s unaware of the cruelty that his slave overseer in John Tibeats (Paul Dano) who always undermine things and treats Northup with disdain.
While Northup would also work briefly under the supervision of Judge Turner (Bryan Batt) during a seasonal break, Northup would endure the worst under Edwin Epps (Michael Fassbender). Epps is this very unique individual whom Ford describes as a man who is willing to break slaves to the core as he has a very sick fascination with the slave Patsey (Lupita Nyong’o) whom he seduces much to the chagrin of his wife (Sarah Paulson) who loathes Patsey. It all plays to Northup dealing with Epps as well as the harsh conditions he endure as a slave picking cotton where if he picked less than the day before. He will get whipped as it’s just one of the many punishments he has to deal with yet clings to some sense of hope as he desperately tries to write a letter to his family and friends in the North but the presence of Epps has him feel uneasy. The film’s third act doesn’t just play into Northup’s sense of hopelessness but also the things he has to do where he does find some hope in a Canadian carpenter named Samuel Bass (Brad Pitt) who learns about Northup’s situation as he would be a key proponent into Northup getting his freedom.
Steve McQueen’s direction is very evocative in the way he presents a world that is beautiful but has this air of ugliness that is prominent throughout for the fact that it’s a film about slavery. A lot of McQueen’s direction is filled with these intoxicating images that mixes beauty and horror while knowing how to put an actor in a frame or to use a close-up to express something by doing very little. Shot on location in New Orleans and other parts of Louisiana, McQueen’s portrait of the American South is very seductive in its beauty yet has this sense of harshness where it’s a place where a slave’s attempt to runaway is more treacherous where Northup would attempt that only to see what will happen as he would never do it again.
There’s also some intimate moments in McQueen’s direction such as the scene of Northup being chained inside a prison cell where it’s very dark with little light to showcase the horror that is to come. Even as McQueen doesn’t shy away from the brutality of the whippings and such where there’s some very chilling scenes that includes one of the most brutal sequences of whipping where it’s the sound of a whip hitting flesh that is the most unsettling. McQueen’s framing and some of the long shots he creates are just a marvel to watch in not just some of the drama that plays out but also some of the sense of terror that occurs. Though there are bits of humor in the film, it’s only just small bits as it plays into the drama and turmoil that Solomon Northup endures as the film’s ending is an absolute tearjerker. Overall, McQueen creates a very exhilarating yet haunting film about a man who endures the cruelty of slavery.
Cinematographer Sean Bobbitt does some amazing work with the film‘s photography from the look of the Louisiana swamp landscapes and scenes set in the forest with its use of natural lights to some of the shadings and lighting schemes he uses for some of the film‘s interiors as well as the scenes set at night. Editor Joe Walker does brilliant work with the editing with its use of jump-cuts, rhythmic cuts, and dissolves to play into that sense of horror and drama that Northup endures. Production designer Adam Stockhausen, with set decorator Alice Baker and art director David Stein, does fantastic work with the set pieces from the plantations that Northup works at to the look of the homes and places that Northup lived before his capture.
Costume designer Patricia Norris does superb work with the costumes from the dresses the mistresses wear as well as the suits that the men wear as well as the rags the slaves have to wear. Sound editors Ryan Collins and Robert Jackson do excellent work with the sound work from the way dialogue is meshed in certain scenes to some sound effects that occur in the film such as the whippings and such to play into the sense of power in those moments. The film’s music by Hans Zimmer is phenomenal for its mixture of low-key orchestral music to some tremendous pieces that mixes some haunting percussions and string arrangements that play into the terror that occurs in the film.
The casting by Francine Maisler is incredible for the ensemble that is created as it features some notable small appearances from Quvenzhane Wallis and Cameron Zeigler as Northup’s children, Kelsey Scott as Northup’s wife Anne, Michael K. Williams as slave Northup meets early in the film, Garret Dillahunt as a drunkard who works with Northup picking Cotton, Dwight Henry as a slave Northup befriends in Uncle Dwight, Bryan Batt as the fair-minded slave master Judge Turner who would get Northup a job at a party, Liza J. Bennett as Ford’s wife, Chris Chalk as a slave Northup meets who tells him to not act too smart, and J.D. Evermore as Ford’s overseer Chapin who is forced to watch the action of Tibeats.
Other noteworthy performances include Scoot McNairy and Taran Killam as the two men who would trick and drug Northup into a job that would lead to his enslavement while Alfre Woodard is wonderful as a plantation mistress whom Patsey likes to drink tea with. Paul Giamatti is terrific as the slave trader Theophilius Freeman who does things to sell the slaves and presents them in the most cruel ways. Adepero Oduye is superb as the slave Eliza who deals with being separated from her children as she reminds Northup of the cruelty he has to face as a slave. Paul Dano is excellent as the slave master John Tibeats who sings a very horrific song while feeling threatened by Northup for being someone who can speak his mind and please Ford. Brad Pitt is amazing in a small yet cruel role as Samuel Bass who works with Northup during his time with Epps as he learns about his plight.
Sarah Paulson is brilliant as Mrs. Epps as a woman who loathes Patsey as she treats her with the worst kind of cruelty as she someone who proves to be just as extreme as her husband. Benedict Cumberbatch is marvelous as the kind William Ford who is intrigued by Northup as he gives him a violin while dealing with the cruelty of Tibeats as he makes an uneasy decision about giving Northup up. Lupita Nyong’o is tremendous as Patsey as this young slave woman who becomes this object of desire for Epps as she faces some of the most horrific moments a slave has to endure as it’s a performance that is just unforgettable to watch.
Michael Fassbender is remarkable as the cruel yet twisted plantation owner Edwin Epps who is a man that is just extreme in the way he treats his slaves as well as having this sick desire towards Patsey. There’s also this very haunting presence that Fassbender presents as a man who could probably kill someone as well as being ignorant about his ideas of the world. Finally, there’s Chiwetel Ejiofor in an outstanding performance as Solomon Northup. Ejiofor brings a sense of grounding to a man who faces a world that is different from the one he had lived in as he tries not to do anything yet is aware of how much of a threat he is. There’s also that sense of sadness and determination in Ejiofor’s performance to display a man who deals with not just loss but also the hopelessness of not being able to return home as it’s really a performance for the ages.
12 Years a Slave is a magnificent film from Steve McQueen that features a tour-de-force performance from Chiwetel Ejiofor. Along with a great supporting cast and some amazing technical work from cinematographer Sean Bobbit and music composer Hans Zimmer. It’s a film that explores not just the horrific atrocity of slavery but also from the perspective of a free black man who is captured and endures this horror for 12 years as it’s told by McQueen and screenwriter John Ridley at its most visceral. In the end, 12 Years a Slave is a massively astonishing film from Steve McQueen.
Steve McQueen Films: Hunger - Shame - Widows (2018 film) - The Auteurs #52: Steve McQueen
© thevoid99 2013
